One of the things I’m really impressed with, on the FLYLADY forum, is the number of young-ish women with small children who are really in earnest about their responsibilities as wives, homemakers, and moms. These gals are highly motivated to create healthy, constructive environments for their families – and they’re busting their “FRANNIES” to get things done.

Ladies – I look at you and remember how I struggled, and sometimes just flat gave up and didn’t struggle, when my beautiful daughters were small, and I so greatly admire you for your vision, your determination, your great hearts and characters.

I also envy you for your wisdom in pursuing this course now. I wish I could take what I know now, and visit myself nearly thirty years ago, before my older daughter was born. I’d have made a much happier and more stable home for them – and for my poor husband, who unbeknownst to me had his own private and secret battles at the time. I sure as heck didn’t make his life any easier or pleasanter; in fact, I made it a lot more difficult.

I have lots of regrets, lots of remorse. You’ll be spared that.

Keep fluttering. Remember: Baby Steps.

God bless you.

Yeah, why not!

If you haven’t found Marla at http://www.flylady.net, you’re missing out on the really fun action.

Flylady now has a community forum – I joined a week ago – and outside Catholic Online it’s some of the nicest women I’ve ever met in my LIFE. Talk about support! encouragement! good cheer! consolations! MOTIVATION!!!

I’ll post later about my experiences this past week as a renewing FLYBABY – but I see a bunch of gals have hit my link from my posts, and I wanted to say HELLO!!!

That Obama is a seedy character… it bears noticing.

Okay – this letter to the editor is not from a national celebrity-type writer. But he brings out some very telling points.

For Michelle Malkin’s editorial on the Obama exploitation of celebrityhood.

and another acknowledgment to Karla (the girl is on the ball, isn’t she!)

and it’s even funnier in a British accent. God bless the man! Brilliant satire!

and a gracious nod of the mantilla-clad head to Karla for sharing it with me.

Several wonderful things happening for my dear friend Nora – just want to share them with you all. I can do this because she is very outspoken about her problems being “hounded” by “The Black Dog.”

“Black Dog” is not only on “sit” and “STAY” – I think he’s been kennelled for a while! Nora says God has finally led her to her “Happy Pill.” This is something to be truly grateful for, because the dear gal has really suffered terribly.

BUT the REALLY GREAT NEWS: NORA IS A GRANDMA. Her Daughter out West somewhere (I’m not saying, although I know – there are SOME people’s privacy issues, right?) had an absolutely GORGEOUS baby boy over the weekend. He was almost 3 weeks early by dates, but he already weighted a bit over 7 lbs. (I wonder what his gestational testing revealed – was he at term, and they missed her dates? or was he on his way to being a big ol’ Bubba?)

Singing Te Deums for Nora –

How does he DO IT??? and does it work with humans?

From today’s web post:

Make no mistake: Barack Obama’s speech in Berlin’s Tiergarten park was one of the most revealing and, frankly, terrifying moments of the campaign so far. We witnessed a man who may very well be the next president of the United States APOLOGIZE to a bunch of foreigners for his own country’s failings! He told the crowd of 200,000 that he addressed them “as a fellow citizen of the world” and then dropped this bomb: “I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we’ve struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We’ve made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions.”

Apparently lost on Obama and the crowd was the incredible irony that a Nazi flag would be flying over Berlin at this very moment if it weren’t for the sacrifices made by the United States and our allies in WWII; hundreds of thousands of Americans died to liberate Europe and prevent the spread of tyranny around the world.

The crowd, of course, was enthralled with the speech. But there’s a very simple reason why Obama’s been received like a rock star everywhere he goes in Europe: the European people have no desire to see America remain the world’s number one power!

Here’s the bottom line: The United States can’t afford a commander-in-chief who travels to other countries with his hat in his hand and begs for some understanding. We need a president who will stand up for America, not apologize on her behalf. And if Obama had no qualms about delivering this speech to the European public, what’s to stop him from doing it in private with Ahmadinejad in Iran?

Say goodbye to America, the superpower; say hello to America, the good global citizen.

Do we want an American president who is going to apologize for us all the time and cut our throats in the process? What percentage of the German and French population is MUSLIM, anyway?

The speech in Germany is embedded in this article. I can’t find out how to copy it here. Apologies.

I think I’m going to start signing posts “Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison. Kyrie eleison.” Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.

… that my sides ache after reading this.

Enjoy!